-Celebrating the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China and the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, Incheon is set to become a hub for local diplomacy.
Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jung-bok) announced plans to further raise the profile of Incheon as an international city on the diplomatic stage at the local government level by participating as a key city in the 2025 China-Korea Governors' Growth Conference in September and the 2025 Korea-Japan Governors' Conference in November, in cooperation with the Council of Mayors of the Republic of Korea.
The year 2025 will mark the 33rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and China and the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is expected to be a major turning point in economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries. In particular, Incheon City and Weihai City, Shandong Province, China, have been designated as pilot cities for the Korea-China FTA and are being recognized as representative examples of economic cooperation between the two countries' localities.
The 3rd Korea-China Governors' Growth Conference will be held from September 8-10 in Seoul. The conference is a high-level local diplomacy platform that brings together local government leaders from Korea and China to discuss ways to expand economic, trade, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges. Incheon Mayor Jung-bok Yoo, who also serves as the chairman of the Korea Council of Mayors, will lead the conference on behalf of the council.
At the meeting, Incheon will introduce its cooperation achievements as an FTA pilot city under the theme of industrial and economic cooperation and climate crisis response, and share its carbon-neutral city model to expand the basis for practical and sustainable cooperation with Chinese cities.
The 8th Korea-Japan Governors' Conference will be held in Incheon from November 11 to November 13, and is the highest-level local government cooperation meeting of the mayors of metropolitan organizations in Korea and Japan . This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, and the fact that the conference is being held in Incheon is expected to serve as an opportunity to showcase the city's position as a center for external cooperation.
The conference will feature in-depth discussions on industrial and economic cooperation, as well as measures to combat population decline and rural depopulation, and Incheon will actively promote the city's competitiveness and attractiveness through city tours, corporate site visits, and cultural performances.
"This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Korea-China FTA and the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, and it is very meaningful for Incheon to play a pivotal role in both conferences," said Kim Young-shin, director of the city's International Cooperation Bureau. "As intergovernmental diplomacy is practical diplomacy that directly affects the lives of citizens, we will further consolidate Incheon's global status based on mature cooperation and trust."
